1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to animal feeding devices, and more particularly to a combination food and water dish wherein the food contained within the food dish is protected from crawling insects by a water barrier contained within the water dish.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food dishes for pets and small animals often become infested with ants and other crawling insects. Various types of pet dishes are known in the prior art. A typical example of an insect inhibiting pet dish can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,080 issued on Dec. 5, 1978 to C. Haney. This patent discloses a combination food and water dish. The food dish is supported on a pillar above the water dish allowing the pet to both drink from the lower water dish and eat from the raised food dish. Unlike applicant's instant invention disclosed hereinafter, the Haney patent further discloses a non-moveable support pillar located in the center of the water dish. A water dish of this type accommodates only one food receptacle and does not allow the food receptacle to be selectively positioned. An alternative pet dish is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,627 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to D. Riddell. Riddell discloses a pet dish utilizing three receptacles stacked above one another and spaced apart in a concentric arrangement. The base receptacle acts as a reservoir for trapping and preventing crawling insects from accessing the two uppermost receptacles.
While the above mentioned devices are appropriate for their intended usage, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.